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VJ Day 15 August - Remembering

cherryorchardcherryorchard
in Not Sports Related
Firstly here's to the memory of Vic Wilson (died 27 July 1943) of Charlton and many others who lost their lives whilst prisoners of war in the Far East. Also remembering those who survived but who along with their familes paid a high price and whose post war lives were marked by their experiences.

I thought these family letters might be of interest which give an account of the VJ celebrations in 1945 in London.

I'd be interested to hear any other memories, family stories.

Comments

  • rananegrarananegra
    We recently discovered that my partner's great uncle died on the Thailand Burma Railway so this anniversary is a bit more poignant than before. He was in the Royal Artillery and died the same month as Vic Wilson. 
  • CharltonKerryCharltonKerry
    Very poignant day for me as well, I have published a few of the stories that my father told me about his time in Burma, he wasn’t captured, but he fought for 31/2 years in the jungle. When they finally went on the counter offensive and charged back through Burma with the Japanese they didn’t take a single prisoner, it was there way of evening up the score. Unbelievable brave man, sadly forgotten by all. It would have meant a lot to them if VJ was treated the same as VE Day, but it never was, couldn’t even be bothered to make the 75th anniversary a public holiday. So sad for a remarkable band of men.
  • carly burncarly burn
    edited August 2020
    Red arrows due to fly over different parts of UK this afternoon.

    Think weather may scupper some of it unfortunately
  • SantaClausSantaClaus
    usetobunkin said:
    Charlie Revell, use to be a Sports Master at my school. When i was about 12 i had to have my appendix removed as an emergency op. When i got back to school and changed for games a couple of kid wanted to see my scar. 
    Charlie saw all this and lift up his shirt and showed us his scar, then said his appendix had been removed in the Jungle by Hurricane Lamp and bayonet. The  scar was almost  the complete width of his stomach, and jagged.
    One tough old boy, one proper gent. 

    My Dad was also a Burma veteran, 14th and Forgotten, Saw the horror of Changi Jail, and the survivors of the death railroad.
    Later in his life had some sleepless nights
    That reminds me of stories my grandfather told me when I was a boy. He was a doctor in the far east during the war and I remember him recounting how he had to amputate legs without anaesthetic in field hospitals. Being instructed how to cut off a limb in under 30 seconds with rudimentary equipment is something that's always stuck with me.
  • seth plumseth plum
    My father was a Burma veteran. He was taciturn by nature, talked a bit about the troopship out, and the training in India.
  • blackpool72blackpool72
    seth plum said:
    My father was a Burma veteran. He was taciturn by nature, talked a bit about the troopship out, and the training in India.
    Ditto my dad.
    My uncle died in one of their  prisoner camps. 
    What a horrible time to have been a young man.
    God bless them all 
  • Raith_C_ChattonellRaith_C_Chattonell

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  • cherryorchardcherryorchard

    From Kentish Independent 16 July 1943.  How relieved at the time these families must have been to get these postcards.  They could never have imagined the terrible conditions these men were enduring.













    Needless to say not all of these local boys made it home.

    Stanley WEBB died aged 22 on 11th August 1943 - just a few weeks after this article was published and is buried in Kanchanaburi Thailand,  as is Michael Desmond DUGGAN who died on1st September 1943.

    Derreck George HARPER died 12th September 1944 and having no known grave is commemorated on Singapore Memorial

  • ME14addickME14addick
    The drama The Long Narrow Road to the North has been quite graphic. It's difficult to imagine how awful it must have been for those serving and imprisoned in the far east during WW2.
  • NugNug
    I know it wasn’t in the Far East but in France, but it is 81years ago today that my Grandads best friend died clearing mines in France. Albert Eldridge was from Crayford and I’ve been researching his history.
  • McBobbinMcBobbin
    As I've mentioned beofre my granddad was a royal engineer in Burma, and so I feel like I always knew of the "forgotten" war, but some of the documentaries I've seen this week really highlight how horrific it was
  • CharltonKerryCharltonKerry
    Just driving down to Bristol and another memory of father sprung into my head, as I said he rarely mentioned anything but towards the end of his life he started to open. In his week of the ship him and his troop was taken to a hospital and shown the soldiers who were bayoneted as they lay in bed, but worse was to follow the hospital were run by nuns who were crucified. It changed him for life and he was an expert in explosives trained to work behind enemy lines to cause chaos which he did for 31/years. 
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